Resilient safety latch



May 26, 1942. I H. A. MccURDY 2,284,004

RESILIENT SAFETY LATCH Filed Feb. 25, 1940 Patented May 26, 1942 V UNITED *s TgS T; OFFICEF;

2,284,004 assume SAFETY LATCH Howard'A. McCurdy, Fort Lewis, Wash. Q i

Application February 23, 1940, Serial Na'ezome- 30mins. (01. 292-495 My present invention relates to the art'of latch or securing devices and more particularly to a resilient safety latch. I c H Essentially, my invention consistsof a hook, made of spring wire, that is'provided with two jaw members which are normally held in close contact with each other, and in their closed position, by the resiliency of the spring wire of which the device ismade. The legportionsof my jaw members are deformed to provide finger engagement portions so arranged as to allow a reasonable area for the fingers to engage in'order that suflicient pressure can be applied to overcome the rather "strong spring action ofthe device. This deformation ofthe finger engagement portions prevents slipping of the same, particularly when considerable pressure is used. It is the intention of my present invention to make my device of rea'sonablyheavy spring wire; so heavy in ,fact, that a small child could not op. erate the same. Therefore, it becomes an excellent locking means for gates, screen doors, and the like which are to be guarded against child operation. "1 j My latch arrangement is'particularly adapted for screen doors and'the like due to the'fact that a positive engagement is obtained, and no amount of vibration or deflection as by wind and the like can possibly disengage'the catch. Normally, my catch'is secured at oneen'd'by a screw eye which may be considered partof the catch, and is normally adapted at the other end to engage a screw eye. It has been foundjfrom eX- perience that there are many places where vibration or wind action tends to loosen the aver-- age clasp, catch, or latch. Under such conditions, my device provides a'secure and positive solution of the lock problem.- It also provides a real measure-of security against opening of the latch from the outside. This often happens to the average screen door look when a thin-bladed instrument is-inserted between the door jamb and the door, and the latch raised so as to disengage it. With my present device, however, such an action is definitely impossible. I have found my device particularly desirable in places where machinery causes vibration as in factories, manufacturing plants, or on vehicles of various typestrains, airplanes, and especially on boats where there is invariably a constant vibration due to the movement of the propelling methods. It is believed that many other uses will occur to per-.

sons who have encountered the difficulty of providing a quickly releasable latch under conditions where vibration maintains. a

The principal object in my present safety catch is, therefore, to provide a simple, cheaplyconstructed catch that will provide a firm, safe, latch which, because of the materials used in its construction and its simplicity of form, can be expected to give long years of usefulservice without failure. 7

A further object of my present invention is to provide a safety catch which does not admit of being opened from the side presented to bar entry. 7

A further object of my invention is to provide a safety catch that is-not-affectedby vibration and which no amount of vibration can unlock.

A further object of my invention is to provide initiartension in the device thattends at all times to keep the jaws set'tightly together along their length, and at times toprovide definite tension at all times to keep the jaws closed in the directionof the axis of the jaw members proper. A further objectof myinvention is to provide convenient finger engaging portions which will permitcf considerable pressure being. distributed over a fairly large area so that, in turn, the fingers will not slip off thelatch when the relatively heavy pressure'required to operate the heavy spring tension is applied. .I l, Other and more specific objects will be ap-' parent from the following description taken'in. connection with the accompanyingdrawing wherein. I i Figure 1 is a perspective view of my safety catch proper. Figure 2'is a top plan view of my safety catch before the same is fully assembled showing the direction in which the springtension acts until the jaws are properly interlocked. There is a decided tendency to spread themapart. This same tension, when the jaws-of the latch are properly engaged, tends-to hold them transversely in tightengagement.

Figure3 is a top plan view of my safety catch 7 similar to Figure 2 but with the jaws interlocked in the position in which they are normally disposed foroperation. l V

Figure 4 is anelevation of-my safety catch showing the same as secured to the screw eyes normally used to facilitate adapting the device tovarioususes.

Figure 5 is a View taken in the same sense as Figure 4 but showing the sa fi y catch with the. jaws opened.- 1

Figure 6 is a perspective view taken in. the same general sense as Figure 1, but showing the jaws opened.

ici e e e hen el t'ra'ted in'Fi lire 3.

pressing the side members 23 and 24, one jaw member is slipped in behind the other jaw memlike reference characters indicate like parts I0 and II designate, respectively, the two jaw'members of my safety catch. These I prefer to form after the showing of the accompanying drawing in which one side follows the normal contourf of the relatively heavy wire of which the device is made and is roiindednaturally; The otherside I prefer to flatten so as to 'provide'the two engaging surfaces as IZand M. respectively; the

her so that the slanting portions 18 and I9 will at all times be pressed tightly together. This willthen'insure the accurate engagementof the jaw engaging surfaces l2 and I4.

While my safety catch lends itself to a variety of uses and attaching means, one very convenient and useful arrangement is to provide a screw-eye in the loop provided by coil 26, as is illustrated at 30. The opposite, or jaw end, of my safety catch may likewise engage in any suitable loop or opening as, for instance, the screw ..eye.shown at 32.

In using my safety catch one screw-eye, as 30 for instance, is-secured to one member 34 and angle of these two surfaces to be complementary so that they will permit the jaws to close with a eye el jihi knes s a t a y e a toihe diameter of the wire' from i which the device is made. 'lhe 'jaw :portidnfs themselves are i made rom, straight portions of wire" as is prbbably best noted in-Figure}; 'ljhesejstraigfht portior'is each terminate in a rather sharp bend" illustrated' at us and H, which bends 'arevthen -followed n turn by. the angularly disposed crossedle'gs: l8

and; l 9-. These legs are joined byf-curvesat'n and ifl to thefdivergentlyftensioned side parses and 24. These side bars may be of'whate'ver length is found best, but normallythey must b'e of ars ii cie en t it th d ri the .criii efr m-w h hefdeviq eme fingers o fonehand of. anadultwill be sufficient spr n t m cu tqn rm t. he pe n a terthe shewina cu a qf sll Th tw i e membe and. 1 m r i t ewpnr ipn .pr -ten n he cal, wi s n .2 Ihrcueb u the drawin 1. have sh wn .Qn l urn i th s o l- 1. It .will' be ap a nt t is l ved ihahanr. eascnable num r"o n m s tbe emplcyedrt is b in ama te ha ll be ove ne arsely brzthe we t .o .m er a s usedjn thedevice, asthegreater number of turns em l edat this nc nt heheayie can, b t e Y wire and still be capable foperation by the finger n e hands me-i mnee ii coil m rgbemni ted. e a .lnesm chas pee. c e Outstanding. dra e tages to be accomplished in mydevice is tq providea safety catch that will not permit of operation by a" small child, considerable pressure should be required toopen the jaws. 7 To accomplish this definite meansare provided to give a sit on Whe e ,thefi e end t u 'o one-hand P l era i e n exp ndc n ide P e su n...ityi h d ec mfo tr. T t s end I .e efen e it 3 0. 2. d s a le e n e, e memb r Band 2 a e the ow n f iisu es 1, 2, and 3 hlt e bendsa e i id d t 28, and, 2 9. fIhese bends provide; arnincreased area for; the application of p ressure 'and, because f rsh pa erdvi eal an wh ev s the opposite screw eye 32'is secured to another member 36, it'- making no material difference whichof the two is the movable one. Then, when it is desired to engage or disengage screweyefiriember 32, the fingers and thumb engage respectively the opposite" bends '28'fandT'29, and by pressure thereon the jawsare separated as illustratedin Figures'5',]6, and'l;- At'this point engagement is" readily ieff'ected; When'the pressure is r'elas'ed the' spring tension" in'coil 26', and to a degree i'nthe 'side members 23 and 24', again seats the'jaw members tightly after the showing of Figures 1,4,"and 8. in this arrangement it will benoted that the jaw'members' lflandf H overlapjso that" they offer a"structure'substantially preferred embodiment of my inventiom'but it 'theslippage of the device ongthejingers and thumb and thus permits considerable pressure to be "applied, withoutany danger of the wire 7 pressing; too deeply; into the. flesh of the finger and thumb. Following out this general principle, it is desirable thatfihq two bends; be diprobably best illusorder. to insure that hetw V 'erally, be in secure engagement, I normallyconas is illustrated in Figure 2 and then,-by dejaws-s n; iatasstrong as'the wire from" which thedevice is made." .This arrangement has been found very satisfactory for theseCurin'g' of screen doors, gates, and particularly'doors and'ventilators on boats; as, byhavin'ga'plurality OfscreW-e'yes 32, the movable member -assuming screw eye 3| to be secure therein'f m ayb adequately held in a number'cf adjusted positionsand even though it. be subjected to slamming as 'by"rolling of a boat, or"by'vibr'ation, or wind actionjthe safety catch cannot be dislodged therefrom. This is quite the opposite 'o'f'experie'nce' with the average hook used in so many instances for this purpose. Ma'n y useswill be 'observed for such a catch; particularly in package arrangements whrethe hooks may'h'ave to operate in any positioniwhereas the normalhoolr, if inverted, is apt to loosenand disengage, such an action is not at all possible with 'my present invention.

I The foregoing description and the accompanying' drawing" are believed to"clearly disclose a willbe understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that suchfchanges in the invention'may be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

Havingthus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: r

afp'air of divergently tensioned side bars which arespaced apart andbent to extend across each other, and gripping jaws formed on the ends of the saidcrossed-oyer sidebars and adapted to rest together in overlappingrelation opposite to that of the crossed-over side bars. to form a struct my catch with an outward spring tension k latchingiloop'. W V g j 7 2 A resilient latch formed of wire comprising a pair of divergently tensioned side bars which are spacedapa rt and bent to extend across each other, said sidebars also being tensioned to cause the crossedover portions to press against each other, and gripping jaws formed on the. ends of said crossed-over side bars andadapted to rest 1. A resiuent latchformed of wirecoxnprising across each other and so tensioned as to press 10 against each other, and gripping jaws on the ends of said crossed-over side bars, said jaws being beveled on the side opposite the sides of the crossed-over portions that are pressed together, said jaws being adapted to rest together with the beveled faces lying together in overlapping relation opposite that of the crossed-over side bars to form a latching loop.

HOWARD A. MCCURDY. 

